Car-truck



2 sheets-sheet 1.

' (No Model.)

. E. CLIFF.

GAR TRUCK. No. 546,774. Patented sephzl, 1895.

Witnesses: Inventor.

(No Model.) i 2 sheets-Sheena E. CLIFF.

GAR TRUCK. No. 546,774. 'Patented sept. 24, 1895.

Inventor. Y

Witnesses:

`enfiniwr rric EDWARD CLIFF, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

cmu-TRUCK.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,774, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed June 22, 1895- Serial No. 553,639- (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLIFF, of Newark, in the county of Essex, in the State of New Jersey, have invented.Y new and useful Improvements in Car-Trucks, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and ex act description.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in car-trucks, particularly electric-car trucks, and the main object of the invention is to provide such trucks as are shown and described in my Patent No. 539,935, dated May 28, 1895, with suitable braking devices, and also with means whereby the motors may be suspended.

To this end my invention consists in the combination, with the frame, the axles and wheels, a spring on each side of the frame and between the wheels, levers connected to said springs and extending therefrom in op posite directions to the ends of the frame and pivoted thereto, said levers being fulcrumed on the axles, of a pair of toggle-arms on each side of the truck, a brake-shoe on the end of each of said toggle-arms and pivoted to the said levers, and suitable means to operate the toggle-arms to cause the shoes to engage the wheels; and my invention consists in certain other combinations of parts hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims. s

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedtruck. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a transverse view of one of the springs and its hanger for supporting a motor. Fig. `4 is an enlarged view of one of the bearings for an axle, and Fig. 5 is a central vertical sectional view of the same.

Referring specifically to thedrawings, A represents the frame upon which the body of the car rests.

part of the load, and is firmly seated at its center in a socket in the hanger E. The inner ends of levers D D are linked to a block C, which is mounted on the central part of the lower half of the said spring. The levers D D extend to and are inclined upwardly toward the opposite ends of the frame A and are pivoted to lugs a a. The levers are journaled at or near their center upon the ends of the axles and taper toward their ends. The elliptic springs are hung directly above the inner end portions of the levers and are connected at their ends to the levers below by links b b, so that each lever has two connections with the spring, as clearly shown in the drawings. The levers D D are preferably journaled directlyl on the axles, as before mentioned; but I prefer to make the bore in thelever larger than the axle, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to contain oil or an oily substance. If desired, however, the journal-box may be made with brasses and wedge-casting or rolls, as is well known in railroad practice.

In order to obtain access to the interior of the axlebox,`I provide a partition c with a recess to receive a short bolt c', and this bolt passes through the center of a disk c, which forms the cover for uthe outer end of the box.

Extending longitudinally of the truck, on each side thereof, in line with the wheels and integralwith the yhangers E, is a bracket G. The ends of these brackets are joined together by rods H H, extending in the same horizontal plane, and are parallel with the axles. Each of these brackets are perforated, and in the perforation of each bracket is mounted asmall wheel or pulley d, having its axle set on an angle, so that the wheels will lie in the same direction as the arc of a circle having its center in the center of the truck-frame.

In the center of the truck-frame, extending between the rods H H, is a bar H. The ends of the bar H support the hangers andleafsprings I for the motors. (Not shown.) The leaf-springs I are straight, are provided with eyes at their ends to be connected by suitable means to the motors, and are held at their cenf ter by a band e', having a projection which extends between lugs on the ends of the bar H and a bolt passing through the said lugs and projection.

At the center of the bar H is pivoted a bar J to turn in a horizontal plane. Its ends are curved to opposite sides and extend to and above the wheels (l (l. The brake-shoes L are pivoted at their upper ends to the inner sides of lugs l on the levers D, and are preferably made somewhat broader at their lower ends to allow for wear. It will be noticed that whatever the load is, or in whatever position the levers D D lie, the brake-shoes will always remain the same distance from the axle, and that in applying them to the peripheries of the wheels they always swing the same distance, whether the truck is heavily loaded or not. The shoes bear upon the inner sides of thewheels. Suspendedcrosswiseofthetruck, in the center or midway between the axles, is a rod M. The rod is suspended from the bar J by chains e c, extending upward from the ends of the rod to the ends of the said bar. The pulleys or wheels CZ CZ are grooved to receive the chains when the bar J is rotated by means of draw-bars N N, connected to the bar J, near its ends, and leading to opposite ends of the truck. The ends of the rod M project through eyes in the inner ends of two pairs of toggle-arms I) P, which extend to and ineline upwardly in opposite directions toward the central portions of the brake-shoes L L, to which they are pivoted. The toggle-arms are each preferably formed in two parts, with a turn-bucltle t connecting the parts together, so that the length may be adjusted. The pulleys d d are on opposite sides of the center of the frame. lVhen either draw-bar N is drawn toward the end of the car by any suitable and well-known operating means, the pivoted bar J is rotated on its pivot in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the chains are drawn over the wheels (l (l, the inner ends of the toggle-arms are raised, and the brake-shoes are forced against the peripheries of the wheels. lVhen the draw-bar is released the toggle-arms drop from their own weight, and, being connected together at their inner ends, withdraw the shoes from the wheels.

llaving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-truclr, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of an elliptic spring on each side of the frame midway between the axles having its upperhalf heavier than its lower half, and levers connected to the ends of said spring and extending therefrom in opposite directions to the ends of the frame, said levers being fulcrumed intermediate their length on the axles, as set forth.

2. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of an elliptic spring on each side of the frame midway between the axles having its upper half heavier than its lower half, levers fulcrumed intermediate their length on the ends of the axles, and having their inner ends connected to the center of the lower portion of the spring and connections between the ends ot the springs and the said levers, as set forth.

3. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of a hanger on each side and mounted on the center of the frame, of an elliptic spring held by the center of its upper half in each hanger, its upper half being heavier than its lower half, levers fulcrumed intermediate their length on the ends of the axles, and having their outer ends pivoted to the ends of the frame, links connecting the central part of the lower half of the spring to the inner ends of the levers, and links connecting the levers with the ends of the spring, as set forth.

4. In a car truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of a hanger on each side and mounted on center of the frame, of a spring held in each hanger, levers fulerumed intermediate their length on the ends of the axles, and provided with axleboxes integral with the levers, a partition with a recess therein in the axle bex, and a cover connected to the partition, by a bolt extending through the cover and the recess in the partition, as set forth.

5. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of a spring on each side of the frame between the wheels, and levers connected to said springs and extending therefrom in opposite directions to the ends of the frame and pivoted thereto, said levers being fulcrumed intermediate their length on the said axles, of a bar pivoted on the frame and adapted to rotate in ahorizontal plane, a cross rod, in the center, between, and parallel with the axles, a pair of toggle arms pivoted to each end of the rod, a brake shoe pivoted to each of the levers, and connected to the ends of the toggle arms, connections between the cross rod and the pivoted bar, and suitable means at each end of the car to rotate the pivoted bar, as set forth.

6. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of a spring on each side of the frame between the wheels, and levers connected to said springs and extending therefrom in opposite directions to the ends of the frame and pivoted thereto, said levers being fnlerumed intermediate their length on the said axles, of a bar pivoted at its center on the frame and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane, a pair of toggle arms on each side between the wheels and pivoted together at their inner ends, the toggle arms on one side of the truck being parallel with those on the other side a brake shoe pivoted to each of the levers fulcrumed on the axles and also pivoted to the ends of the toggle arms, connections between the toggle arms and the pivoted bar, and suitable means to rotate the said pivoted bar, as set forth.

7. In a car-truclr, the combination with. the frame and the wheels and axles thereof, of a cross rod at the center below the frame, a pair of toggle arms pivoted to each end of the ICO IIO

rod, and lying in vertical parallel planes, a bar pivoted at its center, to the frame, inthe center of the truck and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane, connections between the ends of the cross rod and the ends of the pivoted bar, brake-shoes pivoted to the ends of the toggle arms and suitably supported, and means to rotate the pivoted bar, as set forth.

8. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the wheels and axles thereof, of a cross rod at the center below the frame, a pair of toggle arms pivoted to each end of the rod, a bar pivoted at its center, to the frame, in the center of the truck and adapted to ro tate in a horizontal pla-ne, connections between the ends of the cross rod and the ends of the pivoted bar, pulleys mounted in the frame for the connections, brake-shoes pivoted to the ends of the toggle arms and suit ably supported, and means to rotate the pivoted bar, as set forth.

9. In a cartruck, the combination with the frame and the wheels and axles thereof, of a cross rod at the center below the frame, a

pair of toggle arms pivoted to each end of the rod, a bar pivoted at its center, to the frame, in the center of the truck and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane, connections between the ends of the cross rod and the ends of the pivoted bar, pulleys mounted to turn in the frame to receive the said connections, and having their axes set at an angle to the sides of the frame, brake-shoes pivoted to the ends of the toggle arms and suitably supported, and means to rotate the pivoted bar, as set forth.

10. In a car-truck, the combination with the frame and the axles and wheels, of a spring on each side of the frame between the wheels, and levers connected to said springs and extending therefrom in opposite directions to the ends of the frame and pivoted thereto, said levers being fulcrumed intermediate their length on the said axles, of a bar pivoted on the frame and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane, a cross rod, a pair of toggle arms pivoted to each end of the rod, a brake shoe pivoted to each end of the levers and conneoted to the ends of the toggle arms, connec tions between the ends of the cross rod and the ends of the pivoted bar, pulleys mounted to turn in the frame to receive the connections, and having their axes set at an angle to the sides of the frame, brake shoes pivoted to the ends of the toggle arms, and also pivoted at their upper ends to the levers fulcrumed on the axles, and means connected to the pivoted bar to operate the same, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

EDWARD onirn. [n 5.]

Witnesses E. L. TODD, W. H. GRAHAM. 

